Diego Simeone has given Atletico Madrid a mark of nine out of 10 for the season after third place was sealed.
Atletico went into the campaign as defending champions and though they relinquished the title to Barcelona, qualifying directly for the Champions League was enough for Cholo to award his side a high grade.
“For me it’s a nine [out of 10]. After we were champions and runners-up in the Champions League this year we won the Super Cup and reached third,” he said, according to AS, after the season-ending 0-0 draw.
“We competed with Real Madrid and Barcelona. The players and the club did great work. Now we work and focus.
“For the third consecutive year the club is in the Champions League and the fans are happy with their team.
“We relied on ourselves [for third place]. Granada [relied on themselves to avoid relegation]. The game was played with great tension.
“You give everything during the season and when you reach the end with options you can play like that.
“Broadly speaking it was a normal League. Madrid and Barca fought for the title. Us, Sevilla and Valencia fought for the Champions League and the qualifier.
“The results for the relegation places were a little crazy.
“Obviously there’s tension about what’s happening in other games. When you get to the last day it enforces what has gone before.
“With one point we were secure. We celebrate with great joy. The first year we won the Europa League and now we’re in directly in the Champions League. I can say for almost four years we’ve been in the Champions League.”
